The handset commonly employed in communication apparatus comprises a front that includes communication controls, such as push buttons for turning the communication apparatus on and off and a keyboard used for establishing a connection with other communication apparatus and/or transmitting information to other communication apparatus. The front may also include a display for displaying information transmitted or received. The handset further comprises a back, opposite to the front, that is adapted to be held in the palm of the users hand when the handset is removed from the base.
When the handset is placed on the base in the face in position, the front of the handset faces the base. This is the position in which, with few exceptions, all prior handsets are accommodated on its associated base. However, it is desirable to be able to support a handset on its associated base in both a face in position and a face out position in which the communication controls and display are accessible to the user while the handset is positioned on its associated base. The difficulty of providing this capability is increased by the fact that the base is typically designed to be used on both a horizontal surface and a vertical surface. Consequently, the interaction between the handset and the base must be such that the handset is supported on the base in either a face in or face out position while the base is positioned on either a horizontal or a vertical surface.
One line of cordless telephone sets is presently available that provides this capability. The handset has a pair of opposed recesses in its sides and the base has a pair of opposed spring loaded pins that when placed in registration with the recesses in the handset serve to support the handset on the base in both a face in and face out position while the base is in either a horizontal or a vertical position. This arrangement however suffers from a number of deficiencies. First, it requires some precision in positioning the handset on the base to assure registration of both recesses in the handset with both spring loaded pins in the base. Second, using multiple recesses and pins to accomplish the desired objective results in a complex structure which adds to its parts and assembly cost initially and to its repair cost subsequently. Third, the molding of recesses in the sides of the handset requires the use of a tool that is itself complex and expensive and requires more time to complete the molding operation. Finally, the recesses and pins are located toward the upper end of the handset and base and are therefore quite visible and believed to detract from the appearance of the telephone set.